Can any good thing come out of Lumberton. Yes it can. After I came home from last night's board meeting, I stated watching the six o'clock news on my DVR. I was listening to the news and I heard the name Willie Heidleberg. I was thinking to myself, I only knew one Willie Heidelburg and as soon as his picture flashed across the screen, I turned up the volume to make sure I didn't miss a word of the story. It seems that some students at the Purvis Middle School were fascinated by the triumphs and barriers that were broken by a young man that attended school in their city. Willie Heidleberg is a native of Lumberton but during his formative years, schools in Mississippi were still segregated. As a result, Heidleberg attended John Jefferson in Purvis, Mississippi. As the news story played, you could see that the kids and their teacher, were fascinated by the feats accomplished by Willie Heidleberg. Willie used his athletic prowess to gain what he wanted most; not notoriety but an education. Willie took to the football field and used his talents to get a quality education and in the process he also gained notoriety. Willie stated his football career at Pearl River Community College. As the teacher described, he and other African American football players had to endure tremendous obstacles just to take part in a sport they loved. The teacher recounted the time when the players arrived at a football stadium and there were epitaths with their jersey numbers written on them.
Willie Heidleberg broke through racial barriers at Pearl River Junior College and he was also the first African American to receive a football scholarship to the University of Southern Mississippi. Rick Cleveland referred to Willie as a 143 pound giant when speaking of Willie's history making touchdown at the University of Southern Mississippi.
That’s a lot of history for a man who made plenty himself. Forty years ago this coming fall, he was known as “Wee Willie” Heidelburg when he flitted his 143 pounds into the end zone twice to help Southern Miss stun Ole Miss 30-14 in what remains the biggest, most unbelievable upset in Mississippi football history.
Wee Willie was like a black dot on an ivory domino, the only black player on the field for either team that day. His performance foreshadowed sweeping changes in Deep South football. On this, the last day of Black History Month, it seems appropriate to ask the question: Was Heidelburg aware of the ramifications back then as a 20-year-old junior?
“Oh no,” Heidelburg says. “I knew that was a special victory. I knew we had done something big. But, as for me, I was just playing ball. I certainly wasn’t thinking about making history.”
But he did. He carried the ball three times that day, scored twice.
If you ever run into Hamp Cook, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Famer and an offensive line coach on that USM team, ask him about Heidelburg’s two touchdown runs.
“I couldn’t wait to get back and watch Willie’s runs on film and see how well my guys blocked for him,” Cook once told me. “Hell, we didn’t block anybody. Willie just dodged them all.”
The news story went on to say that the class gathered signatures to have Willie Heidleburg inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Willie was a very prudent man. Growing up, I knew he played football at Pearl River and USM but that was just the tip of the iceberg of his many accomplishments. Willie was never boastful. He loved God, his family and football. Looking back, I can see the gentle giant that Rick Cleveland described but I would like to add that he was a gentle giant and he not only served his community, but he served his family. I have very fond memories of sitting at the home of Mrs. Nora Lee Heidelberg-Speights enjoying those wonderful dishes prepared by Willie for the brunch he sponsored every year. People would come from miles away to take partake of the all day brunch. Willie would stay in the kitchen all day, making sure everyone's plate was overflowing with the dishes he lovingly prepared. The day would be filled with smiles, great stories and even greater fellowship. Everyone was invited and no one left without a full belly and heaping serving of love; Willie style.
I spoke with one of Willie's younger sisters, Tina Speights-Holder and I found out that she was interviewed by the class of students in Purvis and she shared some of her fondest memories of her brother. To those in the sports world, he was great athlete, but to her he was brother. While speaking with her about the legacy of Willie Heidleberg, you could hear the love she has for her brother and she said Willie is best described by the scripture found in Jeremiah 9:23-24:
This is what the Lord says:
“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
or the strong boast of their strength
or the rich boast of their riches,
but let the one who boasts boast about this:
that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.
What a wonderful testimony. So, whenever someone asks can any good thing come from Lumberton. The answer should be a resounding YES because Willie "Wee" Heidleburg is from Lumberton. I am looking forward to the day when he's inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. RIP Coach Heidleberg.
Can any good thing come out of Lumberton. Yes it can. After I came home from last night's board meeting, I stated watching the six o'clock news on my DVR. I was listening to the news and I heard the name Willie Heidleberg. I was thinking to myself, I only knew one Willie Heidelburg and as soon as his picture flashed across the screen, I turned up the volume to make sure I didn't miss a word of the story. It seems that some students at the Purvis Middle School were fascinated by the triumphs and barriers that were broken by a young man that attended school in their city. Willie Heidleberg is a native of Lumberton but during his formative years, schools in Mississippi were still segregated. As a result, Heidleberg attended John Jefferson in Purvis, Mississippi. As the news story played, you could see that the kids and their teacher, were fascinated by the feats accomplished by Willie Heidleberg. Willie used his athletic prowess to gain what he wanted most; not notoriety but an education. Willie took to the football field and used his talents to get a quality education and in the process he also gained notoriety. Willie stated his football career at Pearl River Community College. As the teacher described, he and other African American football players had to endure tremendous obstacles just to take part in a sport they loved. The teacher recounted the time when the players arrived at a football stadium and there were epitaths with their jersey numbers written on them.
Willie Heidleberg broke through racial barriers at Pearl River Junior College and he was also the first African American to receive a football scholarship to the University of Southern Mississippi. Rick Cleveland referred to Willie as a 143 pound giant when speaking of Willie's history making touchdown at the University of Southern Mississippi. 
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